Attempted rape allegations against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have brought sexual violence back into the international spotlight. Here are some short pieces on other prominent recent events.
In South Africa, a seven-year-old girl was at a family restaurant. She was allowed to go to the bathroom by herself. While she was in there, she was raped by an assailant who has been identified as a journalist at the Cape Times newspaper.
Also in South Africa, a seventeen-year-old who had just given birth hours before complained to a doctor in the maternity ward about her continued bleeding. He took her to a private office, began examining her, and proceeded to violently rape her. It was later determined the man was not a doctor, and had merely been posing as one to gain access to the maternity ward.
In the United States, former world welterweight champion boxer Victor Ortiz turned himself in to authorities after a long investigation resulted in formal charges of rape against him.
Padma Lakshmi, host of Top Shelf and feminist activist, revealed on Tuesday in a NYT editorial that she had been raped at age sixteen. In it she states that her reason for revealing the assault now is because of the defense that asks why the accuser did not come forth earlier.
In Ireland, the return of college classes has triggered an influx of new rape charges. Cork, for example, has three reports of rape already. The head of Cork’s sexual violence centre, Mary Crilly, was interviewed about it.
“It is (awful) but I don’t think it’s unusual,” Ms Crilly said on air.
The Independent
“This is the other side of freshers, we see it nearly every year.”
The damage done by false allegations are substantial, and claimants cannot be believed simply because they’ve made a claim. That said, they cannot be disbelieved, either, simply because one does not wish it to be true. Rape is a crushing act of violence and it always merits a sober investigation.
